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Shutting Down Our Universities! By Gbemiga Ogunleye

If Federal Government officials who have demonstrated absolute incompetence and insensitivity by keeping our children at home when they should be in school studying, deserve to be tied to the stakes, then officials of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, too, deserve to be flogged publicly at the market square!
For, as they say, two wrongs don’t make a right! The cause of the strike is too well known to be stated here. Besides, this article does not seek to apportion blame. My concern is the plight of the students and to explore whether ASUU could have done things differently, especially, when dealing with people who are either stone deaf or genuinely unreasonable! To be sure, without the struggles of ASUU, public universities would have probably collapsed. Thanks to ASUU, the Tertiary Education Trust Fund, TETFUND, was set up to provide the needed infrastructure and other ancillary facilities to the universities. But in my view, after going on strike for three months, without the government meeting its demands, it should be clear to the union that another option, other than strike ought to be explored. By extending the strike by another three months, ASUU is unconsciously aiding the government officials to destroy the future of the younger generation. The implications of keeping young children at home when they should be in school are probably lost on both ASUU and the government. The idle mind, they say, is the playground for the devil.
For a country still reeling from the disastrous effects of over 10 million out-of-school children, it beggars belief that it could afford to close down public universities for three months and officials of the state are not bothered. To add insult to the proverbial injury, those who are charged with the responsibility of resolving the ASUU crisis are busy campaigning and preparing for next year’s general election.
As a social critic, Tunde Fagbenle would say: What a country? On the part of the university lecturers, they are obviously sold on the idea that the only language government understands, is the language of the strike. But now that the government has turned a deaf ear to their grievances, shouldn’t they adopt another strategy? Couldn’t ASUU, for instance, have taken a cue from our women, who after the bills on women empowerment were rejected by the National Assembly, staged a series of protests at the National Assembly until the lawmakers promised to revisit the bills. Couldn’t ASUU have embarked on advocacy campaigns to our leading traditional rulers and elder statesmen (and women) on the need for them to make the government see reason. There is also the issue of the wisdom in embarking on a strike when political office holders are all busy, seeking reelection or reappointment.
Wouldn’t it be a better option for ASUU to table its grievances before the presidential aspirants of the political parties and invite them to an ASUU forum for them to discuss their plans for the education sector if elected next year. As the intellectual powerhouse of the country, wouldn’t it have been more beneficial to us all, if ASUU took interest in the ongoing process to amend the Constitution by proferring far-reaching constitutional amends like scrapping one arm of the National Assembly; making the legislature a part-time business, with members only being paid sitting allowances; limiting the number of ministers and commissioners to a manageable number, etc.
These actions will free up resources to be used to fund education. Rather, without blinking an eye, the union announced with glee that it was extending the three-month old strike by another three months, without considering the effect on not only the future of the students but also the interest of their poor parents who have laboured to send them to school. Perhaps the union took this step, confident that even if it went on strike for a year, nothing spoil, to borrow a street lingo. Their salaries and allowances would still be paid.
Now that university undergraduates have begun a series of protests over the continued closure of their campuses, ASUU should be ready to share part of the blame, should anything untoward happens to these students. Prolonging this strike is an ill wind that will do the country no good.
ASUU should be courageous enough to announce to the country, that following calls from well-meaning Nigerians and in consideration of the interests of the students and their parents, it has suspended the ongoing strike.
That, in my view, is the path of honour.

News

President Tinubu departs UK for France

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has departed the United Kingdom for Paris, France, where he is expected to attend an “important engagement” after spending over a week in the UK.

The Senior Special Assistant on Political and other matters to the president, Ibrahim Kabir Masari disclosed this on Friday through his X account.

“Today, I had the honor of visiting President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR at his private residence in the United Kingdom, where we engaged in productive discussions.

“We then departed for Paris, France, for another important engagement”, Masari said.

Meanwhile, details of the engagement were not made public.

Recall that President Tinubu departed Nigeria on Wednesday, October 2, for a two-week working vacation in the UK, as part of his annual leave.

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FG breaks ground on the construction of inland dry port in Ogun

The Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Alhaji Adegboyega Oyetola has said the Gateway Inland Dry Port in Ogun port would be built to international standards, equipped with the latest digital systems for tracking, clearance and cargo movement to ensure efficiency and global competitiveness.

He spoke on Friday while performing the ceremonial ground-breaking of the Gateway Inland Dry Port in Ogun.

The event was held at Kajola, in Itori in the state’s Ewekoro local government area (LGA).

In his address, Oyetola said the port would be a model for other inland dry ports in the country.

The Minister said the port would be built to international standards, equipped with the latest digital systems for tracking, clearance and cargo movement to ensure efficiency and global competitiveness.

“This project is about laying the foundation for a key logistics hub that would facilitate the movement of goods across Nigeria,” he said.

Oyetola added that it would create over 5,000 direct jobs, 15,000 indirect jobs and stimulate local businesses.

“Moreover, it will attract investments that will spur regional development, benefiting Ogun and beyond.

“No doubt, this project aligns seamlessly with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu, as we are committed to creating an enabling environment that fosters innovation and economic growth.

“This initiative will undoubtedly help Ogun to become a more attractive destination for businesses and investors, reinforcing our collective aspiration for a prosperous Nigeria.

“Inland dry ports provide faster and more efficient alternatives for moving goods, ultimately benefiting our economy and reducing the burden on our coastal seaports,” he said.

Oyetola expressed the hope that the dry port would enhance the efficiency of the logistics network and contribute to the decongestion of Apapa and Tin Can Ports.

He added that this should thus improve Nigeria’s trade competitiveness on the global stage.

The Minister directed the Nigerian Shippers’ Council to ensure that the port was developed as a state-of-the-art facility.

He said this should be by integrating advanced technology and leveraging information and communication technology (ICT) that supports modern port processes.

“This inland dry port is expected to enhance the efficiency of our logistics network, reduce green house gas emissions associated with road transportation and promote environmentally -sustainable practices,” Oyetola said.

In his speech, Gov. Dapo Abiodun of Ogun said the port would help in opening up and engendering more development in the state.

He pointed out that this would be by serving as a transport and logistics hub for the nation.

Abiodun noted that the ground-breaking event was not merely the foundation of a dry port, but the beginning of a new era of economic growth, job-creation and increased prosperity.

He added that the project was a testament to the shared vision of prosperity and industrialisation.

“This will transform the state into a leading logistics and commercial centre, both in Nigeria and across West Africa.

“Having identified the ideal location convenient for our Gateway Dry Port Inland Container Terminal, this facility is a key enabler of industrial activity and manufacturing in Ogun.

“It will, on completion, increase the ranking of our state on the ease-of-doing-business index,” the governor said.

Earlier, the Olu of Ilaro and Chairman of Ogun’s Council of Obas, Oba Kehinde Olugbenle, appealed to the Federal Government for the reconstruction of the Sagamu interchange-Papalanto-Ilaro road.

Olugbenle noted that the construction of the road would compliment and enhance the full benefits of the port project.(NAN)

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Kano anti-corruption agency probes ‘disappearance’ of 132 foreign scholarship beneficiaries

The Kano Anti-corruption and Public Complaints Commission has began investigation into alleged disappearance of 132 students out of 550 students that were supposed to benefit from the state’s N1.5billion foreign scholarship.

The commission is questioning two top officials the state Ministry of Higher Education regarding the issue of 1,001 students supposedly studying in India and Kenya.

The State Government sponsored 1,001 postgraduate students to pursue their master’s degrees in India and Uganda.

The initiative is part of the government’s foreign scholarship scheme which was inaugurated by Gov. Abba Yusuf.

Yusuf recently hosted a farewell dinner for the first batch of 550 beneficiaries of the scholarship at the Government House, commending former Governor Rabi’u Kwankwaso for introducing the scheme.

It was, however, learnt that only 418 students were actually sent abroad for studies, raising questions about the whereabouts of the remaining students.

When contacted, the commission’s Public Relations Officer, Kabiru A. Kabiru, confirmed the report, saying the two top officials were interrogated over the alleged scholarship scam.

He said an investigation is ongoing to identify and bring those responsible for the alleged scam to justice.

“Preliminary investigations uncovered fraudulent activities at the office of the Ministry for High Education over the postgraduate students to pursue their master’s degrees in India and Uganda.

“We opened investigation to find out the truth of matter. Whoever is found to have been involved, will be prosecuted, no matter how highly placed,” Kabiru warned.